Finding Success with a Business Degree

Current students and alumni from The Bill Munday School of Business share lessons learned from career experiences and opportunities they benefitted from during their time at St. Edward's University.

Danielle Samuel '12Engaging a Community"I believe once you love what you do, it will feel like you are expressing and learning about another part of yourself that only gets better with time and more experience."

Polina Anastassieva '14, MBA '20Sharing a Different Perspective"The only thing that I wish for the reader to get out of reading my book is that anything is possible in this world as long as one believes in himself."

Max and Abraham Ginsburg '18Investing in the Built Environment"Realizing that by developing real estate, we have the ability to positively impact and improve the lives of hundreds, made it clear that there is no other business for us."

Josh De Freitas '18Finding Career Mentors"I think people at the end of the day just go straight home and don’t worry what campus has to offer. Being a part of [a student organization], you get really close to people."

Ashley Guevara '18Finding Purpose"I really feel like in my experience over the past six years, that LULAC stands by its mission to improve the Hispanic conditions in the United States."

Marcos Gutierrez, MBA '18Leading the Family Business"This class teaches me what I need to know to grow my business, have the right people in place and pursue the vision that I have for the company."

Erika Ortiz '16Investing in Community Impact"What really helped me the most was this state of mind that I put myself in – just trust the process. Go with the flow, do your best in whatever they ask of you, and if you see more room to grow, just go for it."

Dani Barcellona '16, MACT '17Taking the Road Less Traveled"Anytime I had doubts about how I was doing in class or what I wanted to do in life, or even some abstract idea that I wanted to discuss with someone, I could always turn to my professors for advice."

Jay Kuruvilla, DMBA '15Finding the Right Solution"If you are confined to the title you are given, you will stay stagnant and limit growth. The most important thing is to not underestimate yourself and what you can bring to the table."

Nancy Ye, MACT '18Thriving on Change"I was working in Japan – I had a really good salary, I had a really good apartment. It was a really comfortable life. I just decided to give it all up, get into a new environment and try new things."

Justin Lim '18Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone"The one thing that sets you apart is your resilience – how hard you want to work for it – and your enthusiasm. And so, if you never give up, never stop hustling, that will set you apart more than anything else."

Brianna Chacon '16Breaking into Entertainment"If you find down time in your internship or job, set up meetings with people outside your department to get a broader view of how everyone contributes to the bigger picture."

Saleh Al Zayani '14Innovating Internationally"I learned a lot of valuable lessons from different professors at the university. One of the most important things is that a key to measuring a successful business is for the business to sustain profitability."

Zachary Riola '17Creating Connections"Not only was I able to gain real, international work experience, but I was able to expand my professional network to global professionals and build international contacts."

Kurterry Singleton '18Asking Questions"As the only second year intern there, I stood in front of the 150 other participants to share my origin story in order to encourage them to keep pursuing their dreams no matter what."

Christine Zenteno '09Finding the Right Fit"The journey can be a very confusing tangle that feels repetitive, stuck or even as if it is moving backward… To make this work, you need to believe in yourself."

Anthony Fragapane '18Leveraging Alumni Connections"Although St. Edward’s is a small university, the alumni network offers many connections in the business world. A great way to seek out these connections is going through your professors."

Juliann Butz '16Investing in Yourself"Above all else, invest in yourself... Learn how to be a good communicator. You’ll never get what you want if you don’t know how to ask!"